Albuquerque Restaurants

The Duke City has long been a place for hearty home-style cooking in big portions, and to this day it's easy to find great steak-and-chops houses, retro diners, and authentic New Mexican restaurants. The trick is finding them amid Albuquerque's miles of chain options and legions of dives, but if you look, you'll be rewarded with innovative food, and generally at prices much lower than in Santa Fe or other major Southwestern cities.

In Nob Hill, Downtown, and Old Town many notable new restaurants have opened, offering swank decor and complex and artful variations on modern Southwest, Mediterranean, Asian, and other globally inspired cuisine. A significant Vietnamese population has made that cuisine a star, but Indian, Japanese, Thai, and South American traditions all have a presence, making this New Mexico's best destination for ethnic fare.

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  • 1. Flying Star Cafe

    $ | Nob Hill

    A staple in the city, each outpost of this locally owned order-at-the-counter-first café suits its neighborhood (some have patios and allow pets). At the original spot here in Nob Hill, the university crowd digs into a creative mix of American and New Mexican dishes (plus several types of wine and beer). Options include rosemary chicken with couscous risotto, a tossed Cobb salad with tangy tomatillo dressing, a green-chile loaded turkey-and-Jack cheese on toasted sourdough, and an egg- and chile-packed "graburrito." Count on a tempting array of desserts, from a bite-size salted caramel blondie to a Nike-sized coffee-cream-filled éclair.

    3416 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106, USA
    505-255–6633

    Known For

    • All-day breakfast
    • Late-night dessert
    • Creative specials and solid basics
  • 2. Frontier Restaurant

    $ | University of New Mexico

    This definitive student hangout—it's directly across from UNM and has been since 1971—is open seven days from 5 am until late, and hits the spot for inexpensive diner-style American and New Mexican chow. A notch up from a fast-food joint, the chile's good (vegetarian and non), the breakfast burritos are fine (the burgers are, too), and who can resist a hot, melty oversize Frontier cinnamon sweet roll? The sprawling space features some oddly eye-catching John Wayne and Elvis artwork that has been there since the start.

    2400 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106, USA
    505-266–0550

    Known For

    • Hours to suit both early birds and night owls
    • Killer cinnamon sweet rolls
    • Roadside attraction–style decor
  • 3. Golden Crown Panaderia

    $

    Tucked between Old Town and the Wells Park neighborhood, this aromatic, down-home-style bakery opens early but is especially well known for two things: its hearty green-chile bread and its hand-tossed (thin-crust) pizzas made with blue corn, peasant, or green-chile dough. You can also order hot cocoa, cappuccino, an award-winning local IPA or lager (or wine), some biscochitos (the official state cookie), fruit-filled empanadas, sandwiches, and a popular coffee milkshake. Take out or dine in (perhaps on the pet-friendly patio).

    1103 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102, USA
    505-243–2424

    Known For

    • Charming shaded patio
    • Green-chile bread
    • 24/7 cookie ATM on site (credit card only)

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 4. Range Café Old Town

    $$ | Old Town

    A local standby for any meal, the Range Café has a high comfort quotient with hearty dishes like their blue corn or fresh spinach enchiladas with black beans and arroz verde, biscuits and gravy, burgers, and the generously plated salmon-berry salad. Breakfast, served until 3 pm, has fans for its house-made green-chile turkey sausage and huevos rancheros. The food is fresh and well made, with dessert options heavy on pie and cakes. The Old Town–area outpost (like its other locations around town) takes its cues from the still-supreme Bernalillo original, with road trip–inspired decor, local art, and comfy booths.

    1050 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104, USA
    505-508–2640

    Known For

    • New Mexican and truckstop classics
    • Sweet pecan rolls
    • Colorful, funky decor
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

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